The evolution of the video-game joystick can be seen as a metaphor for the gaming industry that has exploded in the three decades since the ground- shaking release of the Atari 2600. Remember the simple Atari controller, a true-to-its-name joystick with a single, orange button?
Even novice gamers can name the dozens of systems — and describe the accompanying controllers — that have littered their floors in the years since the 1977 release of the original Atari. But as we approach this Christmas season, the annual bash for the gaming industry, there’s only one controller many video-game aficionados are using on a regular basis.
A hint: It’s crafted of hard plastic and shaped like a miniature guitar or a four-pad electronic drum kit or a microphone.
‘Tis the season for “Rock Band,” the new full-band music game from Harmonix Music Systems that is the main competitor to popular incumbent “Guitar Hero 3.” Both games are centered on rock shows with the gamers “playing” the music — via color-coded notes and coinciding buttons — and scoring points, winning fans and gaining cash.
The key to “Rock Band,” however, is interaction. Whereas “Guitar Hero 3” offers a competitive one-on-one mode, “Rock Band” allows four players — guitar, bass, drums and vocals — to compete alongside one another.
The common goal? Rocking out, of course.
In reviewing this new video game — already sold out at and many other major game sellers — you first have to address the question of the season: Is “Rock Band” better than “Guitar Hero 3”?
Absolutely.
The collaborative nature of “Rock Band” is all the rage, from musical neophytes to musicians alike. In an essay on , Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein calls “Rock Band” ” ‘Guitar Hero’ for people with more than one friend the ‘Rock Band’ game is more a tribute to rock than an affront. ‘Rock Band’ puts you inside the guts of a song.”
The game is undeniably magnetic — addictive, even. Watching kids and adults banging around the interface’s instrument-controllers only drives home the point that, as a music critic, I’ll be hearing more and more in the years to come: “Well, we first started playing together as a video game band on ‘Rock Band,’ and then one day, my mom bought me a real guitar.”
“Guitar Hero” opened the door to this mania, but “Rock Band” is about to demolish the entire wall. “Rock Band’s” catalog of music is as varied as “Guitar Hero’s” selections, but it’s more comprehensive, drawing from Bon Jovi, OK Go, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica and Deep Purple. It’s also more discerning and interesting, including some selections from the Pixies, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Weezer and other indie heroes.
“Rock Band’s” guitar-controllers are simpler to operate and quieter than “Guitar Hero’s” — and you can operate with two of them, with one doubling as a bass.
The addition of drums and vocals completes the circle and makes this experience unique. The microphone is a real mic, scoring a player on his pitch and cadence. The drums, four electronic heads with a kick-drum pedal, are the best part of the game. Whereas the guitars, like those of “Guitar Hero 3,” operate via fretlike buttons on the neck and a simple strum bar, these drums require full-contact playing.
The simulation can be a thrill. And while it’s far from a real kit, it is the closest thing to really playing an instrument in the video-game world.
Like the “Guitar Hero” franchise, “Rock Band” isn’t about learning to play music. It’s about perfecting rhythm, practicing pitch, learning a rudimentary, color-coded format of written music and developing a true love of rock music.
Earlier this year, I wrote an essay for The Denver Post about playing “Guitar Hero” with my 12-year-old nephew. After years of me trying to introduce him to quality music, he was finally getting into Nirvana and Black Sabbath. In April I hypothesized that it was only a matter of time before he was asking for a bass amp.
The top of his Christmas wish list, just eight months later: an electric guitar and an amp.
And his musical taste is only improving as his desire to play an actual instrument increases. “Rock Band” comes with 58 playable songs, but on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms that support downloadable content, Harmonix and MTV will be releasing more material each month. Sometimes they’ll release entire albums — the Who’s “Who’s Next” and Nirvana’s “Nevermind” are already marked for release — and other times they’ll release artist three-packs, such as the David Bowie and Queens of the Stone Age downloads already available.
It’s only a game, yes. But it’s a truly fine game — and it very well could help inspire the next generation of great (and real) rock bands.
Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com
“Rock Band”
Platforms: PS 2 and 3, Xbox 360
Retail price: $159.99-$169.99
Includes: Game, guitar, drums and microphone (guitar doubles as bass)
Instruments available separately: Not yet, but they’re expected in stores in January.
Creative team: Developed by Harmonix, published by MTV Games, distributed by Electronic Arts.
Selling point: Harmonix developed the first “Guitar Heroes.” This title is the more collaborative game.
“Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock”
Platforms: PS 2 and 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, Mac
Retail price: $89.99
Includes: Game, guitar
Instruments available separately: Yes, including a wireless version of the guitar.
Creative team: Published by Activision and RedOctane, developed by Neversoft and Aspyr Media
Selling point: This is the original series in the megaselling music- rooted video-game genre. Gamers can play as real-life guitarists Slash (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave) or Bret Michaels (Poison).
Ricardo Baca
